Best of 2009: February #6 - #3

Who just barely missed the top in February? Read on!

#6: Shontelle and Akon - Stuck with Each Other

This is the song that'll forever mark my mini-addiction to Confessions of a Shopaholic because it was the first song that I was attracted to when I was watching the trailers. This was the song that made me willing to kill the soundtrack, just for the melody. Processing like hell and the instrumental is a bit so-so except for the string section and some of the guitar parts but I absolutely adore the melody. Shontelle's voice fits the song perfectly, she doesn't hit you over the head but she can sing pretty well - just right.

#5: Trey Songz - Takes Time To Love

The first version I heard was the Chris Brown one but this was released around the same time his issue with Rihanna had just exploded so I don't know if he was supposed to be on the OST but was dropped or if his version was just a demo. Regardless of who sings it, this is another one of the songs I like for just the melody - nothing else.

#4: Natasha Bedingfield - Again

(see my first review of Again)

Again is the LAST of the Shopaholic tracks, I SWEAR. Of course, Natasha Bedingfield blows all the other songs on the soundtrack out of the water with a stunning ballad. It's got a beautiful melody, an instrumental that makes an impact (it's the piano part) and for crap's sake the vocals just add a whole other dimension to it. Gorgeous. Esmee Denters covered it months later and she's great but there's something lacking - her voice is a little to smooth and sanitary to match Natasha's.

#3: Bayje - 20 Miles to Graceland

(see Find A Way on last year's best of)

I first came to know Bayje when one of the old music blogs I used to go to posted Find A Way as a new JoJo song. It may seem kinda stupid but to someone who doesn't know Bayje, her vocals can sound quite similar to JoJo's. But anyway, 20 Miles to Graceland was one of the songs she posted on MySpace earlier this year and I fell in love. Sounds ala-Alicia Keys but not and her vocals are just WHOA. Hahah. No video for the song, can't find it on YT.

Some random reviews...

These are the songs I like and want to talk about now but don't have enough to say about yet to be able to make full-length reviews..

Varsity Fanclub - You'll Be Okay

Listening over to the Varsity Fanclub songs I have, I noticed that after maybe one listen, their songs go right through me. I listen to them once and I think they're brilliant but I listen again and there's nothing special about the songs anymore.

That applies to all but this song. It's got all the elements of a typical R&B song while having all the elements a Varsity Fanclub song possesses - the elements are similar to another VF song and the melody is gorgeous.

Rating: 4/5

Pixie Lott - What You Do

This girl just keeps those brilliant songs coming, doesn't she? This song comes as a free download if you sign up on her official website and may I just say that it's possibly the most brilliant pop song I've heard all year.

It feels like all her other songs, it's got the Pixie Lott signature but the melody somehow reminds me of a Motown song. It's gorgeous and spunky, it's soft but it has kick and she reminds me of a certain British singer who was one of a select few who were able to break the US - Natasha Bedingfield. If Pixie can at least match Natasha's success, I'd be one happy blogger.

Rating: 5/5!

The Pussycat Dolls, A.R. Rahman and Nicole Scherzinger - Jai Ho!(You Are My Destiny)

According to Last.fm, my most played song last week was this American attempt at a perfectly good Indian song on the soundtrack of a perfectly OK movie. I'll admit it, I kind of like the melody of the first two lines of the chorus but what irritates me is the way they say Jai Ho - they make it sound like Jay Ho.

I think it's definitely one of the better songs they've recorded(I have a few guilty pleasures from these girls.. but that's for me to know and you to find out..).

Rating: 4/5

Rain - Fresh Woman

I've developed a liking for this guy - he may seem like an Usher copycat but what sets him apart from the rest is that one, he sings in Korean not English and he actually does the R&B thing pretty well.

Apart from the strange title, the song's actually very good. It's got groove, it makes you want to bop your head or tap your toes and it's got a gorgeous melody. I've noticed that what most artists forget to put in when they TRY make songs like this is an actual melody, the element that makes the song an actual song. This not only has a melody, it's got a structure.

Rating: 4.5/5

Natasha Bedingfield - Again

Again is one of those signature epic Natasha Bedingfield ballad - ala I Bruise Easily and Soulmate. If you've never heard a ballad from Natasha, you'll be surprised at how well she sings those fun, funky tracks and these sad/empowering ballads.

That's why I love her so much.

She can do fun and spunky but she can also do epic, serious and be a show-off with her voice. In other words, she's versatile. Plus the fact that her songs are brilliant.

Rating: 5/5

# 47: Natasha Bedingfield - Angel

So Natasha Bedingfield released this in the US earlier this year as a single from Pocketful of Sunshine and I once again predicted a post-album single!

Angel is probably the 'heaviest' song on the album melody and instrumental-wise, it's got the heavy, computer generated drums and the processed backing vocals. Still, the melody's just drop-dead gorgeous and that's the main thing for me, always the melody.

The phrasing is cool as well. I don't exactly know WHAT it is with the phrasing, but there's something there that draws me to the song more.

Then the bridge is just amazing, and how it transitions into the final chorus is just amazing, I love it!

Now when will she release more material? I'm waiting! haha..

Natasha Bedingfield - Freckles

Artist: Natasha Bedingfield
Album: Pocketful of Sunshine
Year: 2007
Rating: 5/5

Only my third perfect review! So anyway, Natasha Bedingfield is a force to be reckoned with, seriously. I recently put the album that this is on in the car and had my dad listen to it(I've said before that whatever my dad says is probably 100% true but 40% of the time I refuse to believe him) and he liked the album! He said it's rare that he hears a well-produced mainstream album at the moment, and this is well-produced(although he thinks it's a bit inconsistent...) and he also said that his favorite track is 'Piece of Your Heart' because it uses actual drums. Anyway, let's go on with my review.

Let me tell you why this girl is a force to be reckoned with. There are quite a few reasons why and some of these were stated by my dad as well(over the years, I've learned a bit from him). Number one, she knows who she is as an artist, she knows what her music sounds like and what she wants it to sound like. Two, she has a voice, and a pretty good one at that. Three, I don't know if this is entirely true but I have a very good feeling that she can write her own songs, which means you can't replace her because she's behind the songs.

My favorite track on her album is actually 'Angel', but this is at a very close second. It's very hard nowadays to make a sort of 'inspirational/self-esteem raising' song, very hard. I don't think I've ever even liked songs in this particular category but if you guys know a good one, let me know.

Natasha manages to write lyrics that possibly boost self-esteem and carry a melody and arrangement that are contemporary yet her. The more I listen to this song, the more it grows on me, in a few days it might be my favorite song on the album along with 'Angel'!

I've got nothing more to say but the whole album is worth buying, seriously!